We recently connected with Kimberly Shaw and have shared our conversation below.
Kimberly, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Success requires grit, patience, resilience and determination. It requires an unwavering faith and confidence that you will always prevail through the next level of tests- because there will always be new tests.
I was once a young dreamer- it seems so long ago and life got so full of responsibilities and adapting to new challenges that I often find myself in auto-pilot having to consciously remember to remember my beginning. My formative years were spent traveling from place to place born into an Army life. Where the constant change was normal to me- so much that since moving to the metroplex in 08, I’ve lived in 7 different cities here. I really think its a part of my biological clock. Good thing I’m a Real Estate Broker. But what I learned from frequently moving around was the ability to adapt in different environments, respect other cultures, and ultimately in adulthood- how to stay true to your unique internal compass despite what roads life takes you down- or ones that you take yourself down in some cases. As a teen, I was involved with starting a Youth Center for kids on the military installation in Kentucky, and in college I was active in the BIG XII African American Student Association among other clubs. I thought my Bachelors degree in Fashion would land me on the runway in Italy, but it landed me at Dillards in Dallas TX. My quest to achieve more though was always at the core and shortly after arriving here, I pursued my MBA. Recruiting was my next adventure, which took me to a wonderfully woman owned company (Pride Staff)- thank you to Amy Linn and Julie Vicic who took a chance on me- which then propelled my career into Human Resources at the North Texas Tollway Authority. During the week, I worked 8-5 and on the weekends, I took real estate courses at Champions School of Real Estate. While at NTTA, I had the privilege of working under the tutelage of HR Director, Nina Arias and Assistant Executive Director at the time, Kimberly Bizor- Tolbert. I have been blessed to witness strong women lead companies, lead board meetings, and stand on business, all while showing grace and poise and resilience.
From there, the road led me to step into business development, working for a small women owned business, Eagle Barricade (whose founder is, Terry Lacy-Little). I had no idea what Traffic Control products were much less how to sell them! But everyday, after I dropped the children off to school, I would venture out to find construction trailers and introduce myself to the Superintendents and the project managers. Soon, I learned that you shouldn’t wear 6” heels to a construction site.
You see, the law says this “reaping is reserved for the planters”. Just like finding is reserved for the searchers. A guy named Jim Rhon, personal development guru from the 80’s that I love to listen to said “Life was not designed to give us what we need, life was designed to give us what we deserve. We do not reap a harvest in the Fall because we need it, we reap a harvest because we deserve it.” So, I went out everyday and I planted seeds, and knocked on doors and I met some really great people and began to learn what the construction industry was all about. From the TRIP project at DFW Airport with Turner, to Beck’s job site at St. Marks, I was all over town. See, you can’t go out to the field one day and say, I need a crop. Here’s what the field is going to say “who is this clown who brings me their need with no seed”. Take your seed to the marketplace, not your need. Nobody cares about your need, only your willingness. Your willingness to work, your disciplines, your eagerness, your work ethic, that’s what the marketplace is interested in. Not your need but your seed. So, we get not what we need, but what we deserve.
And one day I stumbled across a wise man, named John Proctor, Chairman of the Regional Black Contractors Association and he asked me to be his secretary. I thought, wow, what an opportunity, I can sell traffic control while also helping this organization. Now another law says, if you wish to receive (and receiving is enlightened self-interest) you must give. And I did just that. Giving the organization and its members my very best. Arriving early, staying late, searching and researching, building and implementing programs, serving the community and socializing, advocating tirelessly to change policy, I don’t know how many tables I sat at where the first answer was no, and RBCA just kept coming. You want to know how to get great return, great accolades, great respect? Find a way to serve. Service to many leads to greatness.
Eventually my role as secretary evolved into Vice President and then President-where all my experiences came full circle. In partnership with the RBCA team, I helped build teams internally and externally and lead them. Along with some amazing partners, the organization was able to develop and grow the Second Chance Program, which helped formerly incarcerated individuals receive construction skills training and job placement assistance, provide scholarships to underserved youth and assist disadvantaged senior citizens with home repair. Sharing a little lesson I learned- find the right people and develop talent to grow a solid organization. You can’t send Ducks to Eagle school. When they graduate with their eagle badge and eagle hat and start being friends with the rabbits that’s not going to go over so well is it? So, find the right people with a growth mindset. It will make the team stronger and make succession planning that much easier.
And with that, succession was the next item on the agenda for me as the window of opportunity opened and allowed me to start my next journey just as I had the times before. Just Call Shaw- a tag line given to me by an industry giant, Julius Sterns, because of my “service first philosophy”- became the name of my Real Estate Brokerage. Life, like the seasons, is very predictable if you think about it. There are the Winters of life, the times where you’ve been heartbroken, hit rock bottom, lost a loved one and feel like you’ll never make it out. Followed by the Spring- that comes after Winter, with certainty every season. Whereas you can’t take the winters off the calendar, you can survive them. It’s easier to survive them when you’ve planted diligently in the spring, when you’ve protected what you’ve planted in the summer from the pests, (the pests are those trying to destroy your garden- because believe me, they WILL try to destroy it) and when you can harvest plenty in the Fall. You must always have an unwavering faith that things are going to work out for you. It’s easier said than done, but the tests don’t get easier, so you must pray to get stronger. The responsibilities don’t stop coming, so you must pray for the right people. The troublesome nights where you cant sleep because of worry. They dont stop, so you must pray for more faith. But if you seek, you will find, if you knock the doors will open, and if you keep planting, you will reap. Since starting the Brokerage, we have been building and growing organically and I couldn’t be happier. We service all price points and work all across the metroplex. I am able to serve my community by sitting on the Fair Park First Board and the I Am a Golfer Foundation Board, which both bring me great joy. Recently, I have begun speaking at various engagements, offering leadership insights, inspiration, and words of wisdom to others. Having the opportunity to be featured on news channels and other publications, is an exciting new adventure that I am embracing and find immense purpose in.
Kimberly Shaw, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As mentioned previously, I have the pleasure of helping people obtain the dream of home ownership, assisting existing home owners sell their real estate asset and also guiding investors with their real estate portfolios. Real Estate was always around me. When I was little my grandfather would drive me around in his pick-up truck and show me his properties. While pointing out the window, he would say “Kimberly, you always want to own land, because they’re not making any more of it.” As I got older, attending open houses and pretending which room was mine or imagining that I lived there was always fun. A girl can dream right? My career path into Real Estate at first was a desire to make lots of money, sell pretty homes and I thought I would have all the freedom in the world. Wrong! I quickly found out that Real Estate is not for the faint of heart, it requires start up costs, lots of seed planting with delayed returns, and you work at the mercy of your clients needs. After several years of educating myself and building a pipeline of referral clients, the key jewel I discovered was that helping people and serving was what this career was really all about. You are the clients’ counselor, advisor, life coach and therapist in some cases, you are the project manager, the negotiator, and the glue that keeps it all together. The money is a by product of the great service you provide. What I am most proud of is the trust my clients place in me and the fact that 100% of my business is built on referrals. It says a lot because I must be doing something right. Since obtaining my Brokers license and opening the Brokerage in 2023, we have grown organically to a boutique brokerage, serving all price points and proudly supporting our military veterans and first responders. The name “Just Call Shaw” couldn’t be any truer. I want our clients and potential clients to think of us when they are buying, selling or have a question about Real Estate. We answer the phone, follow up and connect our clients with a variety of service providers to help make the process smooth and enjoyable. When you work with the us, it should feel like you just got a massage, not like you have a kink in your neck. The brand stands on core values like: people first, continuous improvement, accountability, integrity, collaboration and professionalism. We hope that you will think of Just Call Shaw for your next Real Estate transaction.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
Reputation is not something you get overnight. You can’t buy it, and you can’t make it up because it’s not something you produce. Rather it is what people say about you. It is a culmination of actions, responses to events, and character displayed consistently, over a period of time. What is your character? Are you kind, enjoyable to be around, friendly, can you hold genuine conversations and connect with others? Are you self-seeking or do you serve others expecting nothing in return? How do you handle business? Are you thorough? Do you practice due diligence and never take short cuts? Do you uphold confidentiality and advice with your clients’ best interest in mind? Do you see things through to completion and are you dependable? Do people see you as a quitter or resilient- getting back up when you have been knocked down?
Your reputation is correlated to the level of respect others will give you and respect my fiends as we well know, is earned not given.
Be true to who you are and stay firm in your values, protect them. Possess the type of qualities that others admire and be the the person that illuminates light and attracts people to you.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
As a child, I never was a big reader because I couldn’t sit still long enough to read and comprehend the words; Instead I enjoyed playing outside much more. When I became an adult and had to learn hard lessons like what happens when you don’t read the contract in its entirety or what happens when you don’t read the fine print, I realized the importance of reading the begging, and the middle, instead of just jumping to the end.
In my 30’s, I became much wiser and fell in love with self-help books, podcasts and Youtube channels that focus on personal and professional development. The internet can be a scary place but boy is it a playground for the enlightened.
A few resources that have helped me thus far (and there are too many to name here so I’ll give you a few), are the books: Good to Great, Never Split the Difference, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, What it Takes and Who Moved My Cheese. I Love listening to Jim Rohn and Wayne Dyer, a lot! The app called MasterClass (requires a yearly subscription) is a wonderful tool to hear from other experts and giants in various industries. Podcasts like the Working Mother’s Mentor, The Productivity Show, Masters of Scale, and How I built this are always good for a drive into the office or rush hour traffic.
Balance what you feed your mind and minimize the distractions as much as possible. Instead of aimlessly binge watching TV or listening to repeated news information, turn on the podcast, open the book or find something that will feed your soul and help you strive to be the best version of yourself. Be intentional and don’t leave your success to chance.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.justcallshawtx.com
- Instagram: Kimberly_Shaw_
- Facebook: Realtor Kimberly Shaw
- Linkedin: KIMBERLY SHAW
Image Credits
Loud Agency Sederrick Raphiel